When You Least Expect It
by Storylover16
Summary: Jerry Jacks, the black sheep of a wealthy family. Stavros Cassadine, one of a family of wealthy black sheep. What happens when they meet? Will they get along? Hate each other? Or will the sparks fly?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

June 2015  
Paris, France

Of all the things, Jerry Jacks never expected to be stuck here for the summer.

Technically, he seemed to classify as a prisoner. Just because he had had a lot of dabblings in

chemistry and mad sciences, she seemed to think there was nothing wrong with blackmailing

him into being Robin Scorpio's assistant in reviving her dead sons. Well, when you think about

it, blackmailing had to be a specialty of hers. But still, Jerry had been there for months, and

neither were showing positive signs.

Robin Scorpio took her jacket from where it was slung on the chair. "I'm going to bed." she

said.

Jerry merely nodded in return.

After the whole Robin-fake-dying-and-Jerry-keeping-her-hostage incident, it had been hard for

them to work together. But things eventually improved. They would do research together and

chat during meals in a friendly way; there honestly wasn't much else to do in their free time

besides talk.

It was far too quiet after Robin left the lab. Jerry felt tired. What time was it?

Jerry sighed and looked over at the chamber where Stavros Cassadine's body was stored.

When Jerry had researched him, he found a lunatic who had murdered and kidnapped,

terrorized.

 _Another me_ , he'd thought to himself. _We ought to get along well._

The other one, Stefan, seemed to have a slightly better reputation than his brother. Anyhow,

Jerry just wanted them to wake up so he get the hell out of there.

Jerry locked up the lab and rode the elevator to the Cassadines' fancy apartment, where he

and Robin were staying. The lab was under the building (Jerry wondered if the landlord knew

about it). He trudged to his bedroom, peeled off his scrubs and climbed into the bed. He was

asleep almost immediately after his head hit the pillow.

Sunlight streamed into the room and woke Jerry from his deep sleep.

"Great." he muttered. The clock said 6:30 A.M.

"You look terrible." Robin said when he came into the kitchen.

"Gee, thanks." Jerry said sarcastically. "I hate getting up early. Does it really matter if we sleep

in just once?"

"The sooner we start, the sooner we get out of here." was all Robin said in reply.

"Hallelujah." Jerry muttered as they dug into breakfast. At least the food was good. It was

pretty much the only thing he couldn't complain about.

"Are they _ever_ going to wake up?" Jerry asked Robin when they were in the lab. "We've been

at this for months now, and I haven't seen anything happen."

"Do you have somewhere important to be that would explain all your complaining?" Robin

asked.

He didn't have an answer to that. Where else _did_ he have to be? Truthfully, he couldn't think of

anywhere.

"Well, I was also thinking the sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can go home as

well." he said. "I thought you might miss your family."

A strange look came over her face (Sadness? Longing?), and she said, "I do."

About an hour later Robin handed Jerry a bottle. "I think this is it." she said. "We have to test it,

though."

"Well, Stavros hasn't been frozen as long as Stefan," Jerry said thoughtfully, "so he may have a

better chance."

"Now you're using your head." Robin opened the chamber where Stavros' body was. "Go on.

You have to inject it into him."

Jerry looked at her in genuine shock and disbelief. "You think _I_ should do it? And here I thought

you didn't like me."

"I never said I do. Now, are you going to do it, or are you too squeamish?"

"I am not squeamish!"

"Then do it. I'll hook up the machines."

Jerry put the liquid in the syringe, and, once everything was ready, he injected it into Stavros'

vein.

At first, there was nothing.

"I think it's a dud." Jerry said.

"Just wait." Robin replied.

She had barely gotten it out when the machine started beeping.

"Jerry, check his pulse." she said.

Jerry pressed his fingers against Stavros' wrist. There was indeed a pulse.

They had done it.

"It worked." Jerry said in wonder. "We brought him back."

Stavros' eyelids fluttered. He was waking up. 


	2. Chapter 2

Stavros Cassadine opened his eyes and looked around. Where was he? Who was this strange

man staring at him?

"Well?" he asked. "You can talk, can't you?"

Stavros didn't answer. He looked the other man up and down. Tall, mid or late forties, he was

guessing. He had round blue eyes and was wearing ugly blue hospital scrubs.

The man in the scrubs looked over at the little woman standing nearby. "Does he understand English?"

He had an Australian accent. Good God, Stavros thought. I've got an Australian nurse taking care of me

now. They're all supposed to be loony.

"Maybe we should ask him some questions." the little woman said. She helped Stavros sit up

straight and asked him, "Do you know who you are?"

"Of course I do." Stavros answered. "I am Stavros Cassadine. The better question is, who on earth are

you two? And you," he turned to the Australian nurse, "How dare you insult me in such a way? Do you

think I'm not educated enough that I can't understand English?"

The Australian just shrugged. "Honestly, I don't care what your level of intelligence is, mate. I just want

to get out of here."

"Well, that's one down." the little woman said. "Now we have to wake up Stefan. He's been frozen

longer, so we'll have to be more careful with him."

"Do you mean my brother?" Stavros asked. "He's here?"

"Jerry, take him up to the apartment, will you?" the little woman asked the Australian. "You

look after him, I'll see what to do about the other one."

"Fine. Come on." The Australian took Stavros by the arm and led him to an elevator.

"Is my brother down there?" Stavros asked as they rode up the elevator. "My mother told me

he was dead!"

"Well, your mother lied. He's been frozen in ice for years. Dr. Scorpio and I were…hired by your

mother to unfreeze you."

"Oh. I see." Short pause. "Is that your name? Jerry? And I'm supposing you're a doctor as well?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Sort of. It's Jerry Jacks."

Stavros quickly recognized the apartment he followed Jerry to. "We're in Paris? I didn't know there was

a laboratory here."

"Well, I figure the landlord is in dark, too." Jerry went to the kitchen. "How does tea sound?

You hungry?"

"Not much. Tea will be fine, thank you."

"So do you remember anything from before you were frozen?" Jerry asked as he turned the kettle on.

"One of the things we were concerned about was memory loss. But you do know who you are, so that's

good."

Stavros closed his eyes and thought. "I do remember. I was at Uncle Victor's clinic. What happened to

Uncle Victor?"

"Do you mean Victor Cassadine? I wish I had better news, but he's dead. Shot."

"Oh. That's a shame. I liked him."

Another flash came to Stavros. A woman…

"My ice princess." he breathed.

"Your what?"

"My ice princess! Where is she?"

Jerry just looked confused. "I have a feeling I am going to regret asking this. What is an ice princess? Do

you mean that diamond thing that-"

"No, you idiot! Lulu! Where is she?"

"Lulu Spencer? Um, I'm pretty sure she's in Port Charles, where she's supposed to be," Jerry backed

away a little, "away from you. So, did you two have, like, a romance? Because that would be kind of

weird, considering the fact that you have a son with her mother."

"Do you know any other Lulus?" Stavros remembered something else. "My baby."

Jerry groaned. "There's a baby, too? Your mother said nothing about a baby!"

"No, you damned fool! The embryo! WHERE IS THE EMBRYO!?"

The kettle whistled.

"Oh, look, the tea's ready." Jerry said, backing towards the doorway. "So, there's your tea, and

I'm going to go down to the lab and find out what I can from Dr. Scorpio. Like, now." He turned around

and sped off towards the elevator.

Stavros poured a cup and sat down at the dining room table. This was a nightmare. He'd lost his

princess, he had no idea where the embryo was, and he'd just scared away the doctor who was

supposed to be looking after him, and who was obviously clueless about Lulu and the baby.

And Stefan. Why wouldn't his mother tell him his brother wasn't dead?

Where _was_ his mother? He was about to ask Jerry, but then he remembered he had scared

Jerry away. He sighed and looked down at his teacup. He went to the sink and poured the tea down the

drain. Any appetite he'd had was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Jerry burst into the lab, startling Robin.

"Where-is-it?" he asked, breathing heavily.

"Where's what?"

"The freaking embryo! Why the hell didn't you tell me that he had one? He's going mad up

there, wanting to know what happened to it!"

"Jerry, take a deep breath. Sit down. Tell me what happened. Did Stavros hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine. But he's not. All I did was make tea and asked him what he remembered. Then

he starts yelling about ice princesses and babies, as if I'm supposed to know what the bloody

hell he's rattling on about! Please tell me you know something. Surely Helena told you."

Robin sighed. "She did." She went over to one of the storing compartments and pulled out a

container. "The embryo is in here. It's perfectly safe. I don't know what he wants to do with it,

but it is here."

Jerry nodded. "I'll tell him."

On the elevator, Jerry began to wonder if what he had heard about Stavros was true. He

himself was no angel, but from what he heard, the man was a loony.

"Stavros?" Jerry walked through the apartment. "Where are you?"

"In here."

Stavros was seated on the sofa with a book that looked to be a million years old.

"What is that?" Jerry asked.

" _The Island of Dr. Moreau_." he answered. "It was one of my father's favorites. Being a scientist,

he had an interest in Dr. Moreau's shenanigans, and once told me he had considered doing the

idea himself."

"Right." From what Jerry knew, Mikkos Cassadine had been a lunatic scientist who tried to

freeze Port Charles with some weather machine he built.

Maybe that was where Stavros got his crazy from.

"So, I talked to Dr. Scorpio." Jerry said, staying in the doorway. "Um, your embryo is stored

down in the lab. It's perfectly safe. So, if you don't need anything-"

"Just a moment, Dr. Jacks. Come in and sit down, won't you?"

"Uh, all right." Jerry cautiously sat down on the sofa. "So what's on your mind?"

"I want to apologize for my outburst earlier. I clearly frightened you, and I see now that you

really had no clue what I was talking about."

"Oh." That was not what Jerry was expecting. "Well, it's all right. If I were you, I'd probably be

agitated, too. Is that all?"

"Probably not, but that's it for the moment. My appetite is beginning to return, though. Do you

have anything to wear besides those ugly scrubs?"

"You think they're ugly, too?" Jerry cried. "Finally, someone who agrees with me! Hell, yes, I've

got other clothes. Wait. Why?"

"Because I thought you could change into something else and join me for lunch." Stavros

replied. "Would you? I believe I have some cooking skills."

"Oh. All right. I'll go change."

 _What the bloody hell just happened?_ , Jerry wondered when he was back in his room. He wasn't

used to being apologized to. Stavros had just apologized to him and invited him to lunch. So far,

this was a weird day for him.

He stripped off his scrubs and sneakers and rummaged through the clothes he had. He felt like

he should dress nice. He put on a clean pair of black jeans, a blue button-down shirt, and a

black blazer he had no recollection of buying. Also, after months of wearing those hideous

sneakers, he finally had an excuse to wear his boots.

"There," he said as he looked at himself in the mirror, "That's not bed. Although I could use a

shave."

So he quickly shaved and looked at himself in the mirror again. That looked good, although he

wasn't sure why he cared so much. He suddenly got a nervous feeling inside, the kind of thing

that people call butterflies in the stomach (which Jerry never understood-and why were they

even called butterflies, anyway?). Why was he nervous? He was having lunch with one of the

patients. It's not like it was a date.

Wait, was it a date? Stavros hadn't been clear. No, it couldn't be. They'd just met.

"Oh, I'm just confusing myself!" Jerry shouted at his reflection.

After taking a good look in the mirror one more time, he went to go join Stavros. 


	4. Chapter 4

Stavros rummaged around in the kitchen. Truthfully, he had no idea how to cook.

"What to do?" he said to himself.

Sandwiches. Tea and sandwiches was easy. He had seen his father do it. But then, Mikkos

Cassadine knew more about cooking than Stavros did.

"I knew I should have asked him to teach me how." he said out loud.

Well, it's only sandwiches, he thought. You just put a bunch of things between two pieces of

bread, right?

But what was he supposed to put between the bread?

Ten minutes later, Jerry entered the dining room wearing normal clothes. He actually looked

quite nice. And Stavros was still in the same clothes. And he probably needed a bath.

"Is something wrong?" Jerry asked. "You seemed a bit faraway for moment."

Stavros broke out of his train of thoughts and realized he had been staring. He had a flashback

of his father telling him it was impolite to stare at people back when he was a boy.

"No, nothing's wrong." he said. "Shall we?"

On the table was a tea set and a plate of sandwiches. Stavros had searched the kitchen and

stuffed some meat and vegetables together on the bread. People put meat and vegetables

together all the time, so why not on sandwiches?

"Here, let me." Stavros grabbed the teapot, knocking over the teacups. "Oh, dear. Um, I'll get

more teacups."

He quickly went to the kitchen and took a few deep breaths? Since when was he so clumsy? He

was supposed to be making a _good_ impression, not look like a fool.

He found two more teacups and returned to the dining room. Jerry had started on one of the

sandwiches while he was waiting.

"What made you think to put broccoli and cucumbers together?" he asked as Stavros poured

the tea.

"Do they not go well together?" Stavros asked.

"Well, I've never had them together before with…what meat is this?"

"Um, turkey, I believe."

"Hmm. Well, it's an interesting flavor."

Stavros had no idea if that was a good thing or a bad thing, so he changed the subject. "Is my

brother really frozen down in your lab?"

"He is. Robin said he may be more difficult to revive, considering the fact that he's been frozen

longer. Were you close?"

"Not particularly. We got along all right when we were children. Our father encouraged a close

relationship. He had two brothers, and they all got along well. Stefan and I drifted apart over

the years, but that doesn't mean I want to see him frozen in ice."

Jerry nodded. "I think I understand. My brother and I were close as children. He seemed

to…look up to me. I am fairly certain he hates me now, but I wouldn't want to see him harmed.

It is also likely he believes me dead."

"Really? I'm supposed to be dead, too. What happened to you?"

"Oh, plenty of things. I've had a lot of dealings with the mob. It's risky business. And I was in a

boat explosion a few years ago."

"So you are a doctor who is also a mobster and was blown up in a boat?" Stavros asked.

"Yeah, that's the idea." Jerry answered, as though the job was completely ordinary. "So what

do you do for a living?"

"I don't actually have an occupation. My father was a scientist, and my Uncle Victor was

actually the head of the WSB before his death."

"But aren't they good guys?" Jerry asked.

"Technically, yes. But things went topsy-turvy with Uncle Victor at the helm. I believe it was his

revenge for what they did to my father. He was a brilliant man, and they had to go and kill him."

Jerry was silent for a moment, and then he said softly, "My father died, too."

There was a long silence between the two. Stavros sipped his tea and Jerry munched silently

and the strange sandwich.

"How do you know my mother?" Stavros finally asked.

"Uh…business."

"Do you know where she is?"

"Uh…you remember your son Nikolas, right?"

"Of course I do. He's my son. What about him?"

"Well, he kind of took control of the Cassadine resources and imprisoned your mother on

Cassadine Island."

Stavros was stunned silent. His mother, a prisoner?

" _What?_ "

"I know, right? Cassadine Island is totally creepy. Well, I guess maybe not for people who like

creepy castles on deserted islands."

"She's not coming, is she?" Stavros asked.

Jerry shook his head. "I don't think so. But she must really miss you," he added, "and Stefan,

too."

"I doubt it. Mother and Stefan hated each other. If she wants him revived, it's to get on

Nikolas' good side. How is he doing? He must have recovered from the hit I put on him by

now."

Jerry gave him a look he wasn't sure was shock or disbelief.

"Did you just say you had your son shot?" he asked.

"Um, never mind that. How is he?"

Jerry shrugged. "Not sure, honestly. He's alive, that's about it. And I can relate to trying to kill

Nikolas. I once poisoned him and tried to get a ransom for the cure."

"You did?"

"Yeah, but that's, like, ancient history and I am horrible at good choices. Um, this has been

nice. But you should probably go clean yourself up. I can put everything away."

"Very well. I will see you later, then."

Stavros walked down the familiar hallway and found the bedroom he remembered sleeping in

as a boy. He had memories of his father reading to him and Stefan at night before bed. Mikkos

did encourage them to read, and was happy to find that Stavros had also enjoyed _The Island of_

 _Dr. Moreau_ and had hoped Stavros might one day be a scientist as well. Oh, why did his father

have to go and make that freeze-the-world machine or whatever it was? He could have used a

familiar face. 


	5. Chapter 5

Jerry woke up the next morning feeling better than he had in months. Perhaps it was the

excitement of completing one of their tasks. Helping Stavros to recover didn't seem so difficult

now. Lunch had been nice; he thought it was sweet that Stavros had insisted putting it together

when he obviously had no idea how to cook. He felt they had connected.

After a quick breakfast, Jerry went down to the lab with Robin.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave him alone?" Robin asked as they rode down the

elevator.

"If by 'him', you mean Stavros, he should be fine." Jerry replied. "There's books and the

television and I made sure there's no alcohol around. It would probably be good for him to have

his brother around. He said they drifted apart over the years, so perhaps they can reconnect."

"Maybe. Are you okay? I don't think I have ever seen you in such a good mood. You're usually

whining about something."

Jerry just shrugged. "There must be something different in the air today."

"We're going to have to make more of the cure." Robin said once they were down in the lab.

"That shouldn't be too difficult. We still have everything we need, and hopefully there's enough

for two more doses."

"That sounds hope-" Jerry paused. "Hey, did you say two doses? I thought there was only

Stefan left. Or do we need extra for him?"

When Robin didn't give an answer, he knew something was up.

"Robin, did you hear me? You said two doses. I thought we only had Stefan left to unfreeze."

"I heard you the first time." Robin said. "Jerry, there's-"

The elevator doors opened and Stavros entered the lab.

"I apologize if I am intruding," he said, "but I was curious. I had no idea my parents had a

laboratory here."

"No, you're not intruding." Jerry said. "We were just talking about what we'll need to do

revive your brother. Uh, you can look around if you want. But you probably shouldn't touch

anything."

"Actually, I wanted to see the embryo. You sounded sincere when you said it is safe, but I

wanted to see for myself."

"I see." Jerry took the embryo out and held it up so Stavros could see it. "See? It's safe."

Stavros grabbed it and held it close to his chest. "Thank God. I can still have our child even if I

can't have her."

"Um, okay. Well, we should probably keep it here for now so we can be sure nothing happens

to it."

"Of course." Stavros gave Jerry back the embryo. "It is safe down here, then?"

"Well, it's been down here for months and nothing's happened. I think it'll be fine."

"That is good to know." Stavros looked down at the research table. "What are the chances of?

My brother surviving? Will Stefan live?"

"I think there's a good chance he will." said Robin. "Why don't you let Jerry take you back to

the apartment? I'll let you know what happens."

Stavros and Jerry rode the elevator in silence. When they reached the apartment, Stavros sat

down on the sofa and picked up a book on the table and began to look through it while Jerry

stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"You can join me if you like." said Stavros.

"Oh. Okay." Jerry sat down next to him. "I take it you're worried about your brother."

"I am. I-I would rather have him here than see him in his grave. Perhaps we can reconcile.

There will probably be some yelling and possibly items being broken, but it could work."

Jerry looked around the room. Was there anything in that place that wasn't breakable and/or

valuable?

"Jerry. Jerry, wake up."

Jerry opened his eyes. Hadn't he just gone to bed? Why was Robin in his room telling him to

wake up?

"It can't be morning already." he mumbled groggily.

"No, it's around midnight. Come on, get dressed. We have work to do."

"At midnight? Seriously?"

"Could you just do it? I'll wait for you by the elevator."

Ten minutes later, they were on the elevator and Jerry still couldn't get Robin to tell him what

was happening.

"So, we're alone now." Jerry said when they were in the lab. "You can tell me what's going

on?"

"We're reviving Stefan Cassadine tonight."

"It can't wait 'till morning?"

"The longer we wait, the slimmer his chances of survival are. Here." She gave him a syringe of

the same liquid they had injected into Stavros. "I'm going to finish getting everything set up."

A few minutes later, she said, "You can do it now."

Jerry opened the chamber where Stefan's body lay, and injected the cure into him. 


	6. Chapter 6

_He was walking through a field. The moon was out, shining beautifully. It lit the field with a_

 _silver light._

 _And there she was, his ice princess. She held her arms out to him, and he began to walk_

 _towards her…_

Stavros woke up in his own bed. It was just a dream. Of course it was.

He got dressed and went to the dining room. Jerry was there, looking exhausted.

"Good morning," Stavros said, startling Jerry a little, "I apologize if I startled you. Are you all

right? You don't look well."

"Just tired. I was up most of the night."

"Ah. You could not sleep, then?"

"Well, I would have if Dr. Scorpio hadn't woken me up for some midnight lab work."

"Does this have to do with my brother?" Stavros asked.

Jerry sighed and said, "You should sit down for this."

"How bad is it?"

"Well, we did it during the night because Robin said the longer we waited, the worse it could

get or something like that. So we did do it. There was some difficulty."

"What? What difficulty? Dr. Jacks…is my brother dead?"

Jerry took a deep breath. "He nearly died. He was not responding well to the cure. At one

point, his heart stopped completely. But he is alive. Robin has him down in the lab. I don't think

he's woken up yet, but it shouldn't be much longer now."

"Can I see him?"

"Of course. Come with me."

Robin was sitting at the desk in the lab.

"I figured you would be here soon." she said. "He's over there."

Stavros went over to the chamber where Stefan lay. He was asleep, but he was breathing.

"How much longer until he wakes?" Stavros asked.

"I don't know, honestly." Robin replied. "It could be a while."

"I see. Why don't you two go clean yourselves up and get breakfast? I will stay with him. I want

to be here when he wakes up."

"I'm not sure if-" Robin began to say.

"I don't see why not." Jerry cut in. "Robin, you have been up all night. You should get some

sleep, and I'm hungry. He does have a point."

"Fine. But if something goes wrong, come get us _immediately_."

When they were gone, Stavros took Stefan's right hand in both of his. It was so cold.

"Dear Stefan, I know we never got along very well," he said, "but I never would have wanted

something like this to happen to you. I was upset when Mother told me you died. But you

aren't. I don't know why she didn't tell me, but I'm happy you will get through this."

Stefan's eyelids fluttered. They slowly opened. He looked around the room, then his eyes

landed on his brother.

"Stavros." His voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yes, it's me," he said. "It's Stavros."

"But you were supposed to be dead."

"Mother made certain I didn't die."

Stefan chuckled dryly. "Mother. I should have known." He studied his brother's face. "You

shaved. And you let your hair get gray."

"Well, I do hope I look all right."

"You look fine. Are we on Cassadine Island?"

"No, thankfully not. We're in Paris. Remember the apartment building we stayed at? There's a

laboratory under the building. We were both frozen in ice by Mother, and she hired two

doctors to revive us."

"So we're not dead?" Stefan asked. "Stavros, does Nikolas think I'm dead?"

"I'm afraid so. Everyone does. I thought so as well. That was what Mother told me."

"Well," Stefan sat up, "please tell me Mother isn't here. I really don't want to see her."

"You don't have to. Dr. Jacks told me that Nikolas has her imprisoned on Cassadine Island."

"Good. Hey, Stavros, how long was I frozen for, anyway? It couldn't have been too long since

Mother is still around. But for we all know she'll live to be one hundred. It's only been a year or

two, I hope?"

Stefan looked at Stavros, waiting for an answer.

 _Tell him the truth!_ , a voice inside him screamed.

"Stefan, it's been twelve years."


	7. Chapter 7

Jerry and Robin had tried not to fall asleep. They'd washed up and ate and watched some old

movie in French on the television. Jerry was trying to stay awake, which was not easy

considering he'd been up all night. Eventually they both just dozed off on the sofa.

Jerry opened his eyes and looked around the room. Robin was asleep next to him. The

television was still on. He looked out the window; the sun had been higher in the sky than that

before. He looked at his watch.

It was nearly six o'clock.

"Damn it." he muttered and shook Robin. "Wake up."

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "We fell asleep, didn't we?"

"I believe so. On the bright side, Stavros didn't come looking for us, so everything must be

fine."

"Jerry, that does not mean everything is fine!" Robin cried. "Stavros is crazy and Stefan nearly

died last night! Anything can happen to them!"

"Actually. Dr. Scorpio," Stavros walked into the room, "we're quite all right. Stefan hated the

laboratory, so I brought him up here. He got into a bit of a tizzy when I told him he was frozen

for twelve years, but he calmed down. He washed up and we had a nice brunch, and he's

sleeping now. I knew you were both up all night and thought it rude to wake you."

"I should probably go check on him anyway." Robin said and rushed out of the room.

"She's quite the devoted doctor." Stavros said to Jerry.

"Yeah, she's good at what she does. If not for her, I probably wouldn't be here."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Oh, I don't think you want to hear that story." If Jerry told Stavros that whole story, they

would be there for days.

"If you are willing to tell it, I am willing to listen." Stavros sat down on the sofa rather close to

him. "Tell me, how did Dr. Scorpio save you?"

"Well, a few years ago, I was shot with a polonium-laced bullet and I had polonium poisoning.

If it wasn't for a cure Dr. Scorpio created, I would probably be dead. That's the gist of it, really.

It was a…horrible period of my life. I honestly would rather not go into details. Getting the cure

was harder than you're probably thinking."

"I see. Well, I'm used to complicated situations. The Cassadine family history is full of them."

"So you understand?" Jerry asked.

"I do. Sometimes in life-threatening crisis's, people make bad choices. I've made plenty of

choices in my life that I wonder may have been bad choices."

 _Where has this man been all these years?_ , Jerry began to wonder. _He seems to understand the_

 _sort of person I am. It's like we're soul mates._

He wondered if Stavros thought so as well.

"Dr. Jacks?"

Jerry blinked and snapped back to reality. Stavros was looking at him, an amused smile playing

across his face.

"It feels like we're supposed to know each other!" he blurted out.

Stavros smiled a bit wider. "You think so?"

Jerry felt his cheeks redden. Why would he say something so stupid?

"Um, well, I just mean you understand me so well, it seems like we were meant to meet." he

said.

"Hmm. Dr. Jacks, I have only known you for a mere few days, but I feel…a connection to you."

Stavros moved even closer. "Do you feel it?"

"So Stefan seems okay for-" Robin stopped in the doorway and stared at them. "Um, am I

interrupting something?"

"No, no, not at all." Jerry said, quickly getting up. "We were just, um, talking about stuff. I think

I'll go to my room now."

Jerry practically ran to his room and leaned against the door. What the hell just happened?

When he and Stavros had sat that close together, the way Stavros had smiled at him, he'd

felt…a spark. A spark that sent a giddy feeling through his body. Their lips had been so close

they had almost touched…

Jerry shook his head and sat down on the bed. "Get yourself together, man. You're just happy

you've found someone like you. You're acting like a schoolgirl with a stupid crush."

So if he wasn't developing a schoolgirl crush, why did he like the way Stavros had smiled at him

so much?


	8. Chapter 8

For the next week, Jerry avoided Stavros as much as possible-and Stavros had no idea why.

"Has he said anything to you?" he asked Robin as she was clearing the table from breakfast. "Did I

offend him? Did I upset him without realizing it?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know. Jerry can be a complete mystery when he feels like it. The only way you'll

know for certain is to talk to him yourself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do down in the lab."

"But I thought that your work was-" Stavros began to say, but Robin had already walked out of the

room, "-completed." Oh, well. She must have had some loose ends to tie up.

Stefan was laid out on the sofa with a book. He had mostly stayed in his room the past week, so Stavros

was surprised to see him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I believe I'm improving." Stefan answered. "I've gotten sleep and my appetite has been all right. Dr.

Scorpio has suggested physical therapy since I was immobile for so long, that it might help with my stiff

limbs. You?"

"I've felt fine. Should I do this physical therapy as well?"

Stefan shrugged. "If you think you need it. What happened that you got frozen? I heard the doctors

talking about us, that is was easier for you then me because I had been frozen longer."

Stavros sighed. "I'll tell you if you really want to hear it. Once upon a time, two years ago, I kidnapped

Laura's daughter Lulu and attempted to make her my wife. Problem was, she was already married to

some idiot detective, but we had the wedding anyway. When she wouldn't consummate the marriage, I

ordered someone shot. So then-"

"Just a moment." Stefan cut in and eyed his brother suspiciously. "Who did you shoot? The husband?

Luke Spencer, I hope?"

"This was why I didn't want to tell you. You will probably hate me, or at least want to punch me in the

face if your arms aren't too stiff." He took a deep breath. "I ordered a hit on Nikolas."

Stefan's eyes widened. "What?"

"I ordered a hit on Nikolas." Stavros repeated. "But he did recover. He's alive and thriving. He would

have to be alive to imprison Mother. Far as I know, he's healthy. Shall I finish the story?"

As Stavros talked, Stefan slowly stood up from the couch, seeming a bit uncertain on his feet. If looks

could kill, the look he gave his brother would have shot him dead.

"How could you?" was all he said.

He punched Stavros in the face.

Stavros staggered backward, almost falling onto the floor.

"How can you punch that hard with stiff arms?" he asked.

"I am a Cassadine. Knowing how to inflict pain comes naturally. Why Nikolas, Stavros? Why your own

son?"

"I'm not actually certain why, but I'm blaming it on bad judgement. So then Luke and Laura froze me in

an ice chamber, similar to Father's death. Last year, Uncle Victor recruited Dr. Scorpio to revive me. I

had made an embryo from Lulu's egg and my sperm and was going to implant it in her, but that didn't

work because her husband shot me. Then the clinic blew up. Oh, and Uncle Victor was shot. He's dead. I

wonder if his body is in the laboratory."

He didn't get to say anything else before Stefan punched him again. This time Stavros could feel blood

stream from his nose.

"Why, Stavros?" Stefan cried. "Why do you keep at it? You always do things like this! You could have

been better!"

"What the hell is going on in here?" Jerry appeared in the doorway. His eyes widened when he saw

Stavros' bloody nose. He disappeared for a moment and came back with what looked like a first aid kit.

"What happened here?" He handed Stavros a pack of tissues. Then he looked at Stefan. "Did you punch

him? Did you two have a fight? You're not supposed to be aggravating your nerves."

"Aggravated nerves be damned." said Stefan. "I am going to my bedroom and I would like to be alone."

"What got into him?" Jerry asked Stavros. "Did you say something to him? Is this about the whole

kidnapping Nikolas' sister incident?"

Stavros couldn't answer. He was being haunted by the sound of Stefan shouting ' _You could have been_

 _better!'_ echoing through his head.

"Fine. Don't answer, then. Well, at least your nose isn't broken. You do have a bruise on your face. How

many times did he punch you?"

"Twice. I cannot blame him. He was mad at me, still is. He told me I could have been better, and…I think

he's right."

Jerry shrugged. "Maybe. I probably could have picked a better career, and if my brother punched me in

the face, I couldn't blame him. I would have it coming. You should probably go wash off the rest of the

blood and change your shirt."

"I will." He lingered a moment. "Thank you, Dr. Jacks."

He went into the bathroom and washed off the blood. He had to apologize to Stefan. Stefan would

probably hate him forever, but he felt he owed an apology.

Then he began to think about Jerry. His eyes, that smile, his gentle touch…

"Stop it." he said to his reflection. "How can be lusting after another man, and one you barely know?"

Neither he nor his reflection had an answer.


	9. Chapter 9

For the next few days, Jerry tried avoiding Stavros as much as he could, which made him feel a bit bad

because Stefan refused to speak to him and Robin was mostly in the lab doing stuff. Apparently, she

didn't trust Jerry anymore with what she did down there.

One evening Jerry was watching the news on the TV when Stavros came in and asked, "Would you like

to for a swim with me? We can go to the pool outside. No one will bother us."

"Um, okay." Jerry was a bit surprised by the offer. He knew there was a pool, but had never gone in it.

"I already filled it up." Stavros said as they walked out to the pool.

"But I don't have swimming trunks." Jerry realized.

"We can just go in in our underwear. No one will see us."

"Oh." So Jerry stripped down to his boxers, aware of Stavros watching him, and climbed in. Stavros

quickly followed.

"This is a lovely time of day to go for a swim." Stavros said. "The evening air feels good."

Jerry nodded in agreement. He had suddenly gotten a nervous feeling inside him and tried to put some

distance between himself and Stavros.

"What happened to your father?" Stavros suddenly asked.

Jerry could not have more surprised. "What?"

"I was just wondering. You said that your father died, too."

"Oh. I did, didn't I? Well, I stole a pack of cards from him that he thought were lucky. He went into a

depression, and he was murdered by his psychiatrist, one Dr. Ewen Keenan. My father had stolen the

cards from his father, and after they were stolen, the Keenan family faced many tragedies, including the

death of Dr. Keenan's father. Keenan sought revenge. I just happened to walk in on that revenge. I used

the knowledge to my advantage. Keenan's dead now, though."

There was silence for a long moment.

"I wasn't there when my father died." Stavros finally said. "It's always seemed so…surreal to me. But to

have seen it…it would have haunted me forever."

"Was it wrong of me to use my father's murder to my advantage?" Jerry asked. "It feels wrong now. We

didn't get along well, but I think he did love me. I used the truth about his death for my own gain. It

seems so selfish."

"Jerry," Stavros swam over, "you're not to blame for your father's death. Your father brought it upon

himself when he stole those cards."

"You really think that?" Jerry asked.

"I do." Stavros gently pressed his hand against Jerry's cheek. "What you did may have wrong, but I

imagine this Keenan got what was coming to him."

"He was shot by a mob enforcer."

Stavros smiled. "See? Don't feel bad, Jerry. No one is perfect. We are proof of that."

Jerry smiled back. "Yeah, we are."

Stavros didn't take his hand off of Jerry's cheek.

"Jerry, I asked you if you feel a connection between us, but you didn't answer me." He felt Stavros'

hand on his waist, gently pulling him closer. "Do you?"

Jerry looked into Stavros' eyes and admitted, "Yes, I do."

Stavros kept pulling him closer until their lips finally touched. It was a sensation like nothing Jerry had

ever felt before. He pulled Stavros even closer…

…then jerked away at the sound of a crash.

"Did you hear that?" he asked Stavros.  
"I did." They grabbed their clothes and went inside. A vase lay broken on the floor.

"Someone must have been watching us." Stavros declared as they picked up the pieces. "Dr. Scorpio

said she would probably down in the lab all day, so can easily guess it was my brother. He will think up

something to yell at me about."

"Yeah. Right."

There was then one of those awkward pauses that happen sometimes between two people who just

kissed and don't know what comes next.

"Um, I think I'm going to bed." Jerry said.

"It's only 7:30."

"Well, I was going to take a shower and read for a bit, so by time I actually get into bed it will be later."

"I see." Stavros looked disappointed that he was leaving. "Good night then, Jerry."

"Good night."

 _I kissed Stavros Cassadine_ , he thought as he went to his room. _I just made out with Stavros Cassadine in_

 _a bloody pool._

He looked over to the mirror on the wall.

"Why is this happening?" he asked the man in the mirror. "How can I be falling for a man I barely

know?"

Yet that was entirely true. Though it had not been long, Jerry had seen himself opening to Stavros like

he hadn't with other people. And the chemistry…he probably would have given himself to Stavros right

there in that pool if they hadn't been interrupted.

It did take Jerry a long time to fall asleep that night, but for the reasons he had told Stavros.

It was because he couldn't stop reliving the kiss in his mind. 


	10. Chapter 10

Stavros slept fitfully at first, tossing and turning. Then he fell into a dream. Usually his dreams involved

Lulu and their baby. But that night, he dreamed of Jerry.

 _Cassadine Island. He was standing out on the balcony, looking out at the sea._

 _Jerry came to stand next to him. "It is beautiful. I'm happy you brought me here."_

 _Stavros smiled at him. "As am I. I promise you, I will do what I can to make you happy. I love you."_

 _They kissed then, with the colors of the sunset shining on them and the sound of the waves crashing_

 _against the shore…_

Stavros opened his eyes. He was still in Paris.

"Great." he muttered. "That dream was just getting good."

What is wrong with me?, he thought. The man is my _doctor_ , for goodness sake, and I kissed him last

night.

He needed to talk to someone. Jerry was out of the question. Robin barely made time to speak to him.

He still hadn't apologized to Stefan.

 _But that would take my mind off of Jerry_ , he realized. _Besides, I am the older brother. I should take_

 _responsibility. It was my fault, anyway._

He knocked on the door to Stefan's bedroom. "Stefan? Are you in there?"

"Go away, Stavros!"

Stavros sighed. This already wasn't working.

"I am here to apologize." he said through the door. "I was wrong in what I did. Come to think of it, I was

wrong in a lot of things I have done. I figure it's the Cassadine blood. But I think you were right when you

said I could have been better, and I want to be better than that man. I want to try."

The door unlocked and opened, and Stefan stood in the doorway.

"And how has that worked out for you?" he asked. "You have not changed, Stavros." He looked around

to make sure they were alone. Then he said in a lower voice, "I saw you and Dr. Jacks in the pool last

night."

"So it was you that broke the vase."

"I was going to sit out there for some fresh air when I saw you and Jacks in the pool talking and a pile of

clothes outside the pool. Then you starting making out. Don't look at me like that, I know what I saw.

You had your hands all over him."

"Well, we weren't completely naked. We left our underwear on because we didn't have swimsuits."

"And if I had not knocked that vase over and interrupted you, would they have stayed on?"

Stavros didn't have an answer. What _would_ have happened?

"I dreamt about him last night." he said. "Usually I dream about Lulu, but this dream was different. It

was me and Jerry. We were in love, and we were happy together."

"Do you think it means something?"

"I don't know." Stavros suddenly noticed the dark circles under Stefan's eyes. "I thought you said you've

been sleeping. Why do you have dark circles under your eyes? And you seem tired."

"That's not any of your business." Stefan snapped. "I accept your apology. Now go away."

He slammed the door shut. Stavros stood staring at it for a long moment. Stefan lied. He wasn't all right.

It could just be insomnia-it was common enough.

Or he could be having nightmares. Had Stavros heard any shouting at night? He had been so wrapped

up in his own thoughts and problems he hadn't thought much about Stefan. He seemed to be recovering

physically, but what about mentally and emotionally?

 _He was back on the balcony, Jerry in his arms._

 _"Come inside." Jerry gently pulled him by the arm. Inside was a room with a large bed and a crib to one_

 _side. Jerry reached into the crib and lifted out a baby girl._

 _"My baby." Stavros said in awe._

 _Jerry smiled and nodded. "Our little girl, our princess."_

 _Stavros reached out and took the girl into his arms. She looked up at him and smiled._

"Stavros, wake up!"

He was in the laboratory, the embryo in his arms and Stefan yelling at him.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Clearly, you were sleepwalking. I couldn't sleep and got up to get a drink only to find you wandering

around. What is that, anyway? You were holding it as if it-" he stopped. "As if it were a baby.

Stavros…that's the baby."

Stavros nodded. "I dreamt about Jerry again. We had a baby girl."

Stefan sighed. "You should put it somewhere safe for now. Come back upstairs."

As they rode on the elevator, Stavros asked, "Did you see the chamber in there? It looked as though

there was a body inside."

"You must have imagined it. We were the only ones. Besides, the doctors would tell us."

 _Unless they were threatened_ , Stavros thought.


	11. Chapter 11

Jerry needed to get his mind off of Stavros. They had barely spoken since the kiss, and Jerry couldn't get

the image of it out of his head.

 _I should go down to the lab_ , he thought. _I haven't been down there in a while, and I would like to know_

what exactly Robin has been up to down there.

He put on his scrubs and got on the elevator. It would give the Cassadine brothers some time alone

together, which it seemed they needed.

Robin was standing over a chamber like the ones Stavros and Stefan's frozen bodies had been placed in.

"What are you doing?" Jerry asked.

Robin seemed to nearly jump out of her shoes when she heard him.

"How long were you standing here?" she asked.

"Robin, calm down. I just got here."

"I thought you were staying with the Cassadine brothers."

"They need time alone. They've barely spoken since the day Stefan punched Stavros."

"Jerry, you can't just leave them alone like that."

"The way you seem to have abandoned me?" Jerry shot back. "You don't tell me what you're doing

down here anymore! You leave me alone with Stavros and Stefan and you're down here all day. I

thought that maybe we were sort of starting to become friends. I need a friend right now. I can't be

around Stavros right now."

Robin got a concerned look on her face. "Why? What did Stavros do to you?"

"Nothing. Well, he didn't hurt me. We were out in the pool, and we began talking about more sensitive

subjects, and we kissed. I've barely spoken to him since. I don't know what to do."

"Well, shouldn't you take some time to think about how you feel about Stavros? There must be real

feelings between you for something like that to happen, right?"

"Not necessarily. He is psycho, and he's probably still hung up on Lulu. He could just be using me. I

don't…I don't know what to do. In case you haven't noticed, I have a tendency to cause trouble and

chaos. If I did try a relationship with Stavros, it's likely that I'll do something to ruin it."

Robin sighed. "Jerry, relationships are about risks. You have to be able to trust Stavros, and you have to

have faith in the relationships. Haven't you ever taken risks in your life?"

"Yes, of course I have, but none of them had to do with falling for a psycho."

"Jerry, no offense, but you're a psycho, too." Robin said matter-of-factly. "If you have feelings for

Stavros, tell him."

"Fine," said Jerry. "I will. When I decide if I have actual feelings for him or not." He got up to leave, but

turned back before he got on the elevator. "Thank you, Robin. I've never actually had a real friend to

talk to about things before."

Robin let out a sigh of relief. That was too close. Thankfully, she had been able to turn the conversation

towards whatever it was that was happening with him and Stavros. Clearly, he had no idea that it wasn't

proper to have affairs with patients.

She walked over to the chamber. Helena's orders were strict-no one, not even Jerry, could know about

this.

Jerry sat down on the sofa. Now what? Talking to Robin had helped a bit, but he still had no idea what

his true feelings were.

"I suck at this." he said out loud.

"At what?"

Startled, Jerry turned towards the voice. Stavros was standing in the doorway.

"I apologize for startling you." he said, stepping into the room. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I-I'm fine. Um, what have you been up to?"

"I was looking for you, actually." Stavros sat down on the sofa. "It has not escaped my notice that you

have avoided me since we kissed. I am sorry if it was unwelcome. It was not my intention to upset you."

"You didn't upset me." said Jerry. "I just wasn't-I'm not sure how I feel about it."

"Hmm. I see. Well, I am not certain either. I thought I loved Lulu; I was certain of it. But since I've come

to know you, I've felt differently. I usually dream about Lulu and the baby. But since we kissed, I have

dreamt of you."

"Me?" Jerry nearly squeaked.

"Yes, you. What I mean to say is that I feel something for you, Jerry, something real."

Jerry looked into Stavros' eyes. What had Robin said? Relationships have a lot to do with risk-taking.

Luckily, Jerry was no stranger to taking risks.

He leaned forward and kissed Stavros softly on the lips. Stavros responded by grabbing him by the waist

and pulling him closer.

"This is good, I hope?" Stavros asked.

"Very."

They kissed again, the sensation of it even greater than the last.

"What does this mean for us, Jerry?" Stavros asked.

"It means I like you." Jerry laid his head on Stavros' chest. "A wise person told me that relationships are

about risk-taking. I think I do want to take it slow. Normally, I'm impulsive, but this time I'm using my

head. Stavros, did you ever have actual feelings for Lulu?"

"Oh, Jerry," Stavros smiled down at him, "I think Lulu would pale in comparison to you."


	12. Chapter 12

Miserable, the one word Stefan Cassadine could think of to describe himself. He felt utterly and

completely alone. It was true that he had Stavros, but how could he know for certain if he could rely on

his brother? He was a bit wary of Dr. Jacks (something about the man unsettled him) and he barely

spoke with Dr. Scorpio. He knew she was a good doctor, but her father had been in on the murder of his

father and the destruction of Mikkos' beloved machine. Well, his father was insane, but it didn't mean

he was ready to forgive those who had destroyed his dream.

Stefan wandered out of his bedroom and through the apartment. Everyone must have gone to bed. He

got onto the elevator and rode down to the laboratory. He was surprised to see Robin Scorpio down

there.

"I thought everyone had gone to bed." he said. "Aren't you tired?"

"A bit. I'm going to bed soon. Is something wrong?"

"I couldn't sleep." Stefan replied. "I was curious about Stavros' baby, the embryo. I have…been having

difficulty sleeping."

"Any bad dreams?"

"Yes. They mainly have to do with my supposed death. I keep seeing the cliff. It's frightening."

"Hmm. It sounds like insomnia. I might have something that can help you sleep."

When her back was turned, Stefan looked into the chamber she had been standing over. He gasped and

took a step back.

"Is that who I think it is?" Stefan asked.

"That? Oh, that's just an experiment I'm working on. Helena's orders. Here's your medicine. Just follow

the instructions. Goodnight, Stefan."

"Goodnight, Doctor."

As Stefan took the medicine when he was back in his room, he didn't realize his hands were shaking

slightly. In his mind, he kept seeing what he had seen in the laboratory. Had he really seen it, or was it

his imagination? Should he tell someone? He briefly considered waking up Stavros, but then

remembered he was still angry at him.  
 _  
Perhaps it was my imagination after all_ , he thought as he climbed into bed. _It couldn't truly be, could it?_

And yet…what if it could?


	13. Chapter 13

Stavros woke up feeling...good. Great, in fact. Better than he had felt in a long time. And it was all

because of that mysterious Australian doctor/mobster or whatever he was.

Jerry was in the kitchen making breakfast. He smiled at Stavros as we walked in. "Good morning. You

look happy."

"I am happy." He pulled Jerry into a kiss. "You seem to make my world much brighter than I thought it

could be."

"Well, if you say so. So, you're feeling all right, then?"

"Oh, I'm fine." He sighed. "I don't know if Stefan can say the same, though."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I went to apologize to him, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He seemed tired, as though he had

not slept. But he wouldn't talk to me. What if he's having nightmares?"

"Well, keeping it bottled up inside won't do it. I'll talk to him about it."

"Jerry?" Robin appeared in the doorway. "I need you to come down to the laboratory with me. We

need to talk." She cast a cautious look at Stavros. "Alone."

"All right, then." Jerry gave Stavros an apologetic smile. "I should be back for supper. Try talking to

Stefan. He needs someone."

"So, what did I do?" Jerry asked as they rode the elevator.

"You didn't do anything, although I am curious about you and Stavros."

"We're taking it slow. Has Stefan said anything about sleeping troubles?"

"He did wander down to the laboratory last night. I gave him something to help him sleep. Do you think

there could be something wrong with him?"

"Well, he was frozen in ice for twelve years, so that could be affecting his mind. So if I'm not in trouble,

what is this about?"

"You were wondering what I've been doing down here." They walked into the lab. "I'm going to show

you. Look in there, Jerry. Tell me what you see."

Jerry peeked in, surprised by what he saw. "It's a body. Oh, my God. Robin, did you kill someone?"

Robin sighed. "No, Jerry, I did not kill anyone. Do you know who this is?"

"Hmm. No. No, I don't. Should I know? Actually, I think I see a bit of a resemblance with Stavros. Is he

another brother or something? Stavros didn't mention any other siblings."

"Well, it's a Cassadine." said Robin. "Look, Helena told me that this one has to be absolutely secret. I'm

not even supposed to be telling you about this, but I'm going to need assistance. Can you keep this from

the Cassadine brothers?"

"Fine, I won't tell Stavros or Stefan. Do you need me for anything right now?"

"No, you can go for now. I'm honestly not sure what to do with him, anyway. He's going to be a real

challenge."

Jerry wondered why this Cassadine was harder and more secretive, but who knew what went on in

Helena Cassadine's head?

"Stavros!" he called. "Stavros, I'm back! Turns out I'm not in trouble!"

"We should keep our voices down." Stavros was in the living room with _The Island of Dr. Moreau_.

"Stefan is sleeping, and he needs sleep. So what did the doctor need you for?"

"Um, it was…you know, doctor stuff. Just, um, sorting things out."

"Really? Doesn't sound very interesting. Couldn't she have done that on her own?"

"She needed help, because there was a lot of sorting and medical work to do. It can be complicated."

"I see." There was a hint of a smile on Stavros' face. "Is that what Dr. Scorpio said to tell me? You are

obviously lying. What's wrong, Jerry?"

 _Lie! Make up something!_ , his mind was yelling.

"I can't tell you."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Well, I don't know everything yet. There's still more work to be done. Robin wasn't even supposed to

tell me, but she'll need assistance. She said not to tell you or Stefan about it because your mother made

it top-secret."

"Well, you technically have not told me anything about it," Stavros pointed out, "if it is that important, I

will not ask. Does this mean you will be spending more time down in the laboratory?"

"I'm afraid so. But I can make time for us. I will make time."

"Thank you, Jerry. I must ask, once all the work is done, will we be able to leave here, go somewhere

else?"

"I hope so. Travelling together sounds fun."

Stavros smiled at him. "I can think of no happier thought than touring the world with you. I would take

you wherever you wanted to go."

"You're that enchanted by me, then?" Jerry asked teasingly. "Before I met you, no one ever asked me

on a romantic world tour."

"Then they were all insane." Stavros pulled him into a kiss.

Though Jerry was extremely happy at the moment, the thought of the body in the lab stayed in his

mind. Why was Robin being so vague?

What was going on?


	14. Chapter 14

Stavros wanted to do something nice for Jerry. He seemed to be getting stressed with this whole affair

of the secret in the laboratory. At least it seemed that way, but Jerry and Robin never spoke of it when

he was around. For the past four days, he'd been mostly on his own because Stefan still barely spoke to

him.

It was a cool September morning when Stavros just happened to spot his brother stretched out on a

chair out on the terrace.

"So you like the outdoors after all." Stavros said as he approached. "I was beginning to wonder if you

had become a vampire."

"What do you want, Stavros?" Stefan asked in an annoyed tone. "I am trying to read."

"I see. _Dracula_ , of all things. Are you considering vampirism?"

"Stavros, if you do not to discuss anything important, please leave me alone."

"But I do need to discuss important matters with you." Stavros pulled a chair over and sat down. "How

are you? I have been increasingly concerned about you. How has your sleeping been? Have you had any

nightmares?"

"How are my dreams any of your business?"

"Well, I would prefer you have nice dreams."

"And how do you expect me to have nice dreams in this situation?" Stefan snapped. "I was cryogenically

frozen for twelve years, not knowing what was happening in the outside world. The entire world

believes me dead, including Nikolas, who is more my son than yours. He is the only one I care about, and

I don't know if he will even want me back. I have to take a medication just to be able to sleep! It is at

times like this that I wish I was never a Cassadine!"

He stormed back inside, leaving Stavros stunned silent. Stefan had said he was more of a father to

Nikolas than him. Well, perhaps he did have a right to feel that way. Did Nikolas think that way? Would

he ever want either of them in his life ever?

Stavros now knew that if he didn't, it would break Stefan's heart.

* * *

"Stavros? Stavros, I'm back!"

"Out here!" he called from the terrace.

Jerry certainly looked surprised. "Stavros, what's all this? Did you set up a fancy dinner all on your

own?"

"I did. I used a cookbook to be certain I was doing everything correctly. No broccoli sandwiches this

time. Why don't you change out of those scrubs and I'll finish setting everything up."

Stavros was grinning from ear to ear, delighted that Jerry was obviously excited by the way he dashed

back inside to change into something more suitable.

Jerry came back about ten minutes later dressed nicely with his hair combed neat.

"Stavros, is something wrong?" Jerry asked.

"Hmm? Oh, no, I'm fine." He realized he'd been standing. Damn, if Jerry looked that good in a casual,

low-key outfit, what did he look like in a tuxedo?

"It was so sweet of you to do all this yourself. The past few days have been very stressful."

"I take it that's because of the lab work?" Stavros asked.

"Yeah. This…assignment, it's apparently tricky. Robin isn't sure how to proceed. We've barely done

anything the past few days. I want this to just be over. I want to go on our world tour."

"Any idea where you would like to go?"

Jerry was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Somewhere exciting, or exotic."

"Ah. I see. We'll go traipsing through a rainforest. Then I'll take you somewhere romantic, like Italy. I

would like to show you all of Greece someday."

"Then you'll have to let me take you to the outback."

Stavros smiled. "Oh, what a day it will be when we get out of here."

"I know. We can go on our world tour, Robin can go back to her family, and Stefan…maybe he could

come with us. Some travelling and fresh air might do him good."

"Perhaps. Of course Stefan and Dr. Scorpio will be happy to leave, but for now, I just want to talk about

us. Are we an actual couple now? Boyfriend and boyfriend?"

"Do you want to be?" Jerry asked.

"Hell, yes." Stavros grabbed his hands from across the table. "Jerry Jacks, will you be my boyfriend?"

"Straight to the point. I like that. Yes, Stavros, I will be your boyfriend."

Stavros leaned across the table and kissed him. He felt Jerry's hands on his shoulders. Something about

this kiss was more intense than the other times, perhaps something to do with the confirmation that

they were boyfriends and the talk of going to explore the world together.

"Jerry, you're trembling." said Stavros.

"I think it's just the chill in the air."

"We can go inside, then I don't want you to catch cold. Come, let me walk you to your room."

They walked down the hallway in silence.

"Thank you for this evening, Stavros." Jerry said when they arrived at their destination. "It was just what

I needed."

They kissed again. Neither wanted to let go. Stavros pressed Jerry up the door, and he felt Jerry's hands

under his shirt.

"I thought you wanted to take it slow." Stavros said.

"Damn slow." Jerry pulled Stavros into his bedroom, and there was the sound of the door locking

behind them.


	15. Chapter 15

Stefan quickly opened his eyes. It had happened again, the nightmare about the cliff, the same one he

had always had, the one that was tormenting him.

He pulled on his robe and went to the kitchen. Robin was there reading a book.

"Guess you can't sleep either, huh?" she asked. "Is that medicine working?"

"Yes, it works. I just had a bad dream."

"How often have you had bad dreams?"

"A lot." He admitted. "But it's always the same nightmare: me going over the edge of a cliff and falling

slowly down. A few times there was even a pair of glowing eyes staring out at me from the darkness."

"Maybe it's because you're afraid." Robin suggested. "You need to figure out how to deal with this.

Maybe I should get you a psychiatrist. Actually, I think Dr. Jacks knows a bit about psychology. And you

could always try talking to your brother. I think he's worried about you."

"I suppose I could. I will talk to them both tomorrow." He paused as he was leaving. "Thank you, Dr.

Scorpio."

"You're welcome. And you can just call me Robin."

"Right. Good night."

Stefan got back into bed and tried to fall back asleep after taking another dose of medicine. Maybe he

could get through this. Maybe everything would be alright after all.

* * *

The next morning Stefan knocked on the door to Stavros' bedroom. "Stavros? Stavros, it's Stefan. Can

we talk?"

There was no answer.

 _Maybe he's still asleep_. Stefan knocked a bit louder. "Stavros? Stavros, are you awake?"

"Stefan, why are you up yelling at this hour?"

Stefan whipped around. His brother emerged from the bedroom he was fairly certain was Dr. Jacks'

room.

"Stavros? What-isn't that Dr. Jacks' room?" he asked.

"Um, yes. Yes, it is, isn't it?" Stavros seemed suddenly uncomfortable.

"And aren't those the clothes you were wearing yesterday?" Stefan asked slowly.

Stavros looked down at his apparel. "Oh. Quite so. Well, um…I was so tired yesterday that I just fell

asleep like this. I was just looking for Dr. Jacks. He's, uh, not in his room."

"What? Stavros, just how much of an idiot do you think I am?"

"Well, I-it's-I must go." Stavros quickly disappeared into his own bedroom.

Stefan stood stunned in the hallway for a long moment, registering in his mind what had just happened.

Stavros had obviously just lied. Stefan knew that his brother and Dr. Jacks had some sort of relationship

going on, but it was so obvious that Stavros had spent the night in Dr. Jacks' bedroom.

Stefan turned and walked slowly back to own room. He suddenly didn't feel like talking anymore, and

this did not seem to be a good time, anyway.


	16. Chapter 16

It had happened too soon. Jerry knew that now. He had been so caught up in the moment that he

hadn't actually stopped to think. But then again, stopping to really think hadn't always been his strong

point.

From the moment he woke up that morning, Stavros sleeping soundly next to him, he knew it had been

a mistake. He had calmly and quietly gotten dressed and left the room without waking Stavros, and was

now sitting in the dining room staring down at the table, going through everything that happened the

night before. Stavros had just been so sweet to him, and he had been so lonely for such a long time. He

couldn't resist taking Stavros into his bedroom. He didn't actually think about the fact that he had never

been with a man before and wasn't sure what to do; they had mostly fumbled through it.

And still, for all Jerry knew, Stavros was still in love with Lulu and was playing him for a fool. He could be

some kind of pervert who was using him for sex. And that was just the point. Jerry just didn't know

Stavros well enough to trust him completely.

"Good morning, dear." Stavros came into the dining room looking bright and cheery. "How are you this

morning?" He kissed Jerry on the cheek and took the chair next to his. "I had not realized you are such

an early bird. You were gone when I woke up. Jerry, are you listening? Is something wrong? You seem

distant."

Jerry looked over at him, his newly-declared boyfriend. He seemed so happy that Jerry almost didn't

want to tell him what he was about to say. But only almost.

"Stavros," he began, "I've been thinking about last night. And I think it was a mistake."

"A mistake?" Stavros looked confused. "But you were-"

"I know what I did. Please just let me finish. You and I do have something good. I think what we did last

night just happened far too soon. We haven't known each other for long, and we don't know each other

well. You were just so sweet to me last night. You made me a surprise dinner and talked about taking

me around the world. When I felt chilly, you insisted on taking me inside so I wouldn't catch a cold. And I

was just so wrapped up in the moment. Before you came along, I was very lonely for a long while. Since I

have met you, I've felt different. I do want to try this relationship, but I don't want to ruin it. I have a

reputation for destruction and chaos."

"I do understand what you are saying." said Stavros. "Perhaps slow and steady would be the better

choice. Have you ever heard the tale of the tortoise and the hare?"

Jerry was surprised he asked. "Yes, I have. Why?"

"Remember the ending? Slow and steady wins the race."

"Stavros, how does a story about a turtle and a rabbit that have a race have anything to do with our

relationship?"

Stavros thought about it for a moment. "I actually have no idea. We were talking about taking it slow,

and I thought of the story. It can relate to us as well. Perhaps if we go slow and steady, a relationship

between us won't fail. Do you see now?"

"Actually, I think I do. How did you think of that?"

"Well, I was looking through a book of Aesop's fables yesterday. There are a lot of lessons in it, and I

thought I could get some tips on how to be a good person. I don't think I learned very much, though.

Except for that bit of relationship advice. I wonder if Aesop meant to give relationship advice."

"I doubt it, but it helped us." Jerry leaned over and kissed Stavros on the mouth. "Slow and steady it is.

Now, why don't you have breakfast? I'm going to see if Robin needs help with anything."

Jerry just happened to walk through the living room and see a book out on the table. It was

 _Frankenstein_.

 _Hold on, now. Didn't Victor Frankenstein bring a dead person back to life?_

Jerry picked up the book and looked down at it. He suddenly had an idea. 


	17. Chapter 17

Stavros knocked on the door to Stefan's bedroom. "Stefan? I know you were looking for me earlier. Did

you want to talk?"

Stefan opened the door. "Yes, I did. I wanted to apologize."

Stavros probably could not have been more surprised. "Oh. What for?"

"I have been treated you horribly lately, and I am sorry I did. I have been having a difficult time

adjusting, and I just don't know what to do with myself."

"Well, that is understandable, and of course I will accept your apology. But I thought you were angry at

me."

"Oh, believe me, that anger is still there, but I'm willing to at least attempt to get past it. So do not do

anything to aggravate me, understand?"

Stavros nodded. "Oh, yes. No aggravation."

"Good. So we're on the same page, then."

Stavros nodded again. "I think so."

There was an awkward silence.

"So, what's with you and Jacks?" Stefan asked. "I know you lied to me earlier. Is it serious?"

"I think it is. Last night happened too soon. We are going to take Aesop's relationship advice."

Stefan looked him askance. "I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, I just mean we're going to take it slow. We're not in love yet, but I really do care for him, Stefan. I

think I am beginning to fall for him."

"Well, that is a good start." He paused. "Stavros, do you have any idea what the doctors are doing down

in the laboratory?"

"I know something's going on, but Jerry promised Robin he wouldn't say anything. Top-secret orders

from Mother, apparently. Why?"

Stefan pulled Stavros into his room. "Stavros, do you remember the night we were in the laboratory

when I found you sleepwalking? You said you thought you had seen a body down there."

"I do recall." said Stavros. "You told me I imagined it."

"I thought you did. The night Dr. Scorpio gave me my sleeping medicine, I saw it, too. There was

definitely a body."

"All right. Well, was it someone you recognized? Is it anyone I know?"

"That's just it, Stavros. It looked-"

From outside came a large boom of thunder and rain began to pour. Stavros quickly shut the window.

"That's a wretched storm out there. Now, you were saying?"

The door to the room swung open and Robin stood in the doorway.

"Thank God." she said. "Do either of you know where Jerry is?"

"He said he was off to help you." Stavros replied. "Where has he gone?"

"Something important has disappeared from the laboratory, and I think Jerry had something to do with

it."

"Something like a body?" Stefan asked.

"What do you mean?"

Stavros thought back. He had seen Jerry walk through the living room. He had stopped and picked up a

book. _Frankenstein_. He looked back out the window at the storm. Lightning was electricity.

Bringing the dead back to life, lightning, the body in the laboratory…

"I know where Jerry is." he said.

Stavros ran out to the terrace. Sure enough, Jerry was out there in scrubs and lab coat. There was a cot

with a sheet over it, and there was obviously a body underneath. Jerry was holding up some sort of

gigantic metal stick and seemed to be trying to attach it to the wrist of the body.

"Jerry, what the hell are you doing?!" Robin shouted at him. She and Stefan had ran after Stavros.

"Bringing him back to life!" Jerry shouted back. "With this lightning rod, I can do it! Don't you see? This

can all be over!"

"Has he gone insane?" Stefan cried. "What is he talking about?"

"Jerry," Stavros went over to where Jerry was tying the lightning rod to the body, "it is dangerous to be

outside in such weather. Surely there is another way to succeed. Do you at least know who this is?"

"I don't know, some relative of yours! I'm being serious, Stavros! This will work!"

"Jerry, come-"

Stavros pulled Jerry away at just the right moment. A bolt of lightning hit the lightning rod and down

through to the body.

"That should work." said Jerry. "Let's get inside."

Jerry pushed the cot inside, and the others followed.

"Did it work?" Stefan asked.

Jerry pressed his finger against the wrist. A look of excitement came across his face.

"There is a pulse." he declared. "I did it."

"Jerry, are you telling me that that actually worked?" Robin asked in disbelief.

"Yes, it did. I injected the cure into him before I came up here. The bolt gave him the jump he needed,

like when we tasered Stefan to get his heart beating again."

"Then couldn't you have just used tasers this time?" Stefan asked. "Was all of that really necessary?"

Jerry shrugged. "I have a flair for the dramatic. Ah, and he stirs!"

The body sat up, the sheet falling off.

Stefan gasped and put a hand to his mouth. "Oh, my God."

"But how can it be?" Stavros asked to no one in particular.

"Sir, you have just been awakened from a long sleep." Jerry said to him. "Can you tell us your name?"

He turned to look at Jerry. "Yes. Mikkos Cassadine."


	18. Chapter 18

Stavros and Stefan could not believe their eyes. Their father was supposed to be dead, and yet here he

was, alive right in front of them.

Jerry seemed equally shocked. "You're Mikkos Cassadine? Then that must be why-oh, my God. I just

resurrected a lunatic scientist that tried to freeze the world, and who just happens to be my boyfriend's

father."

"You really didn't know who it was?" Stavros asked Jerry.

"No, but I suppose I should have seen it. That's why Helena wanted it to be top-secret. Robin wasn't

even supposed to tell me about it."

"Helena?" Mikkos asked. "Is she here?"

"No, thankfully not." said Stefan.

The father's eyes fell upon his younger son. "And you are?"

"Father, do you really not know us?" Stavros stepped forward. "He is your son Stefan, and I am

Stavros. We are your children."

A look of recognition came into Mikkos' eyes. "How long was I asleep for?"

"A very long time, I'm afraid." said Jerry. "Don't worry, I'm your doctor. Actually, I should probably take

you down to the lab to examine you, see if anything's wrong. Your legs might feel a bit stiff, but you

don't have to worry about that."

"I'll come with you." Robin began to follow, but Stavros grabbed her by the arm.

"You go on, Jerry." He said calmly. "My brother and I have some questions for Dr. Scorpio."

"How is this happening?" Stefan asked. "How did we never know? Where was he all that time?"

"Look, I don't know why your mother never told you. She's Helena Cassadine! Isn't that enough of an

explanation?"

"She does a point there, Stefan." said Stavros. "We're Cassadines. We seem to have a way of…bouncing

back, so to say. I have always thought we are just natural survivors. Father was never a weak man."

"Well, yes, it seems that we do, but how could Mother still keep such a thing from us?"

"Perhaps she did not wish to get our hopes up in case there was no way to bring him back to life. He

must have been frozen over all those years; he does not look like he's aged a day. It's like looking at a

ghost. It was frightening."

"Stavros, we have our father back." Stefan spoke slowly in a tone of wonder. "Is that a good thing or a

bad thing?"

"Truth be told, I have absolutely no idea."

The three sat together in silence until Jerry and Mikkos returned.

"Robin, can you come to the lab?" Jerry looked uneasy. "We need to talk. I have to show you

something."

After they left, Mikkos asked his sons, "Do you know what became of my machine?"

"If you mean the one you were using to freeze Port Charles," Stefan said, "it is long gone, destroyed."

He nodded. "I feared as much. That doctor said it has been over thirty years. What have you two been

doing all these years?"

Stavros didn't know how to answer. What he supposed to say? 'Well, besides being sort of dead, I have

a son named Nikolas who wants nothing to do with me and an embryo down in the lab whose mother

wants nothing to do with me?'

"We've been involved in family business." said Stefan. "We've been…indisposed for some time, but we

plan to put our lives back together. Paris has been wonderful for our health."

"And the doctors?"

" _Personal_ doctors that Mother insisted we hire. They are good at what they do."

Stavros stared at Stefan in amazement. How did he, the good brother, make up a good lie like that in

short time?

 _But, then again, we are Cassadines. Villainy and lies seem to be our strong point._

"And I know Mother would be happy if you stayed with us and let the doctors take care of you as well."

Stefan went on.

"If she had any idea." Stavros muttered.

He sighed and sat back on the sofa. This had definitely been one of the weirdest days he'd ever had.

Then he remembered what day it was. All Hallow's Eve. The most frightening night of the year. Perhaps

that explained Jerry's behavior. That or there was a full moon nearby.

 _Meanwhile, in the lab…_

"Am I looking at this right?" Robin asked. She was looking at the x-rays Jerry had taken. "Is this what I

think it is?"

"I think it is." Jerry answered.

"We're going to have to tell them."

He nodded. "I know. That's the hard part."


	19. Chapter 19

_I'll tell them tomorrow,_ Jerry had decided, but when tomorrow came he couldn't bring himself to do it.

So he waited another day, and another, until an entire week had gone by.

"You have to at least tell Mikkos." Robin had urged him. "You can't keep this a secret forever. If you

won't tell, I will."

"No, I'll do it." Jerry sighed.

So the next morning, Jerry asked Mikkos to join him in the laboratory.

"I know by your attitude that this is something serious." Mikkos said once they were alone in the lab.

"I'm afraid it is. You might want to sit for this."

"I will stand, thank you. Please do not hesitate."

"Okay. Here goes, then. Mr. Cassadine, you have cancer."

Mikkos closed and sighed. "How bad is it?"

"Very bad. It's rather advanced, and chances of survival are slim. I would have told sooner, but I wanted

Stavros and Stefan to have some time with you before…" He trailed off, figuring Mikkos understood.

"I see. Well, I have had a pleasant week with my sons. Saying goodbye will be difficult." Mikkos cast his

eye around the laboratory. "Dr. Jacks, is there anything here that can be fatal?"

"Yes, I think so. Why?"

"Curiosity. Can you ask Stavros and Stefan to join me down here? I would like to speak with them

alone."

"Of course. Wait here."

Jerry went back up to the apartment. The Cassadine brothers were sitting together on the sofa, Stefan

absorbed in a book and Stavros flicking through the channels on the television. They seemed…normal. It

made Jerry get a feeling of dread inside.

"Stavros, Stefan," Jerry stepped into the room, "your father wants to speak with you both in the lab. It's

important."

"Why the laboratory?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, Stefan, you know Father, he likes laboratories." said Stavros. "Come on."

Jerry went out onto the terrace and took a deep breath of the chilly autumn air.

"Did you do it?"

Robin had been sitting stretched out on a chair without Jerry realizing she was there.

"I told Mikkos." Jerry answered. "He seemed to take it well. He was very calm. He asked to see Stavros

and Stefan. I think he wants to tell them himself."

"So, then what?"

"I suppose I look after him, try to make comfortable till the end. I think that's what good doctors do. I'd

like to try being good for once."

For a long while, they sat together in a comfortable silence.

"Where are you going to go when this is all over?" Robin finally asked. "I mean, I know I'm going back to

Port Charles, but where will you go?"

"I have no idea." Jerry replied, realizing he meant it. "But I'll figure something out. I always manage

somehow."

Stavros and Stefan came out onto the terrace. It was difficult to tell what they were feeling. They

weren't letting their emotions show on the outside, but on the inside, they were experiencing the pain

of having to lose their father all over again.

"He wants to see you." Stavros said to Jerry. "He asks that you join him in the laboratory."

"He might have questions for me. I'll go talk to him."

When Jerry went down to the lab, Mikkos was sitting in the desk chair, waiting for him. He was holding

a bottle of pills in his hand.

"Aren't those Stefan's sleeping pills?" Jerry asked.

"The very same. Tell me, do you have a liquid form of this medication?"

"Maybe." Jerry rummaged around the shelves. "Oh, here it is. Wait, why?"

"Simple. You are going to help me die. Here are your instructions; you are going to give me an overdose

of that medicine. I would do it myself, but I believe that would make me a coward, running away from

my problems. That is why I must ask you to do it. My sons and I have already said our goodbyes. Now,

please, one scientist to another, won't you?"

Jerry sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this." He got a syringe. "I'm pretty sure this is considered

murder."

"Nonsense. You are helping me die. Now, will you, please?"

"I'm doing it." Jerry injected the contents into Mikkos' arm. "Now we wait. What do I tell Stavros and

Stefan?"

"Tell them you followed my wishes and helped me die. Thank you for this, Dr. Jacks. And if any of you

ever see Helena again…tell her I am sorry for the way everything happened, and that I will see her on

the other side."

With that he closed his eyes and took his last breath.

"And if not, you will still be there waiting for her." Jerry finished. He got up and walked out.


	20. Chapter 20

Stavros glanced over at his brother. Just two hours ago, he and Stefan were sitting together on that

same sofa, not speaking but aware of each other's presence. It was peaceful and domestic. And it was

strange. Cassadines are not often the peaceful, domestic type. Now they were side by side, staring at a

blank television, not knowing what to say or do.

"He must have had it when he died." Stefan finally said. "and not known that he had it."

Stavros nodded. "I suppose so." The room fell silent again. Stavros was trying to think of something to

say, but he didn't want to upset Stefan. That seemed to come easily to him, so in the end he decided it

was best to just keep his mouth shut.

Sometime later, Jerry walked slowly in, a grim look across his face. Stavros met eyes with him, and he

knew.

"He spoke as if it were the last time we would see him." he said. "He told us to leave and not look back.

He is dead, isn't he?"

Jerry nodded. "He wanted me to put him to sleep. His body is down in the lab. We'll give him a proper

burial."

"How are we going to bury him if we're stuck in this apartment?" Stefan asked bitterly. "We have not

been allowed out of here once."

"But we can now." Robin came in from the terrace. "I'm pretty sure it's all over now. Now that Mikkos is

gone and you two are recovering, we're free to go. We should be."

The four stood around the room together in silence. They had gotten so used to being in each other's

company. And now the end had come for real.

"I'm going back to Port Charles." Robin announced. "I have a family. Is anyone going with me?"

"I will go with you." Stefan piped up. "I still have family in Port Charles. Stavros?"

Stavros shook his head. "I can't go with you, Stefan. I am probably wanted by the police. So unless you

want me to go straight to prison, you cannot take me with you."

"I can't go to Port Charles, either." Jerry added. "The police would be all too happy to arrest me."

There was a short silence. Stefan took a deep breath. "Stavros, come out to the terrace with me, would

you?"

Stavros followed him outside. "I suppose this is goodbye?"

"For now, at least." Stefan cleared his throat. "In the time here that I have spent tolerating you, it

seems you have grown me. I believe we have bonded somewhat. What I am saying is that after the time

we have spent here together, saying goodbye without knowing if I will ever see you again in person

is…difficult."

"Stefan," Stavros smiled slyly. "Are you saying that you do love me after all?"

Stefan sighed. "Well, if you want to put it simply, then yes." He paused. "Can you at least send me a

picture of the baby? I want to see the resemblance. Hopefully, it will not be burdened to look too much

like you."

Stavros laughed. "We can only hope, brother. Perhaps the baby will like its Uncle Stefan. I will tell him-

or her-about you, you know. Perhaps one day you can meet in person."

Stefan smiled. "I will pray that we can. Are you going to stay here?"

"Probably not. Honestly, it may be best if you have no idea where I am. That way no can compel you

into giving them information."

"And is Jerry going with you?"

Stavros looked into the doorway. Jerry and Robin were on the sofa together. Perhaps they were saying

their goodbyes as well. Robin reached over and pulled Jerry into a hug. He looked surprised, but hugged

her back.

"I certainly hope so." Stavros answered. "Now that I know what it is like to have him, I don't think I

want to be without him."

"Stavros, I do have to ask: why him? I have never seen fall for someone and actually be in love with

them. No offense, but your relationships are usually confined to kidnapping women and doing things

like creating an embryo."

"Well, th-" He stopped, seeming to be deep in thought. "I think I may be homosexual, or at least

bisexual."

"Is Jerry the first time you fell for a man?"

"Second." Stavros corrected. "When our parents sent us off to university-we went to the same school,

remember? Anyway, remember my friend Filippos? He was my secret boyfriend. You know Mother and

Father never would have approved of me sleeping with another man. Besides, I only had sex with him

five ti-"

"Why are you telling me this?" Stefan interrupted. "I did not ask to hear about my brother's sex life."

"Well, it was a big deal for me. It was my first romance. I lost my virginity to Filippos. He must have

been bisexual, because I caught him with some blond bimbo. I ended it after that. But I don't think Jerry

would do that. He and I are alike. We seem to understand each other."

"Well, as long as you're happy with him. And I remember Filippos. He was an ass."

Stavros laughed. "I know. I think I will actually miss you, Stefan."

"I think I will actually miss you, too, Stavros."

And then one of the strangest things that had ever happened to Stavros happened.

Stefan actually hugged him.


	21. Chapter 21

Jerry opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. Then he looked over at Stavros, who was fast asleep

beside him.

The past year and a half had been difficult for them both. For the first few days after Robin and Stefan

left, Stavros began working on finding a surrogate while Jerry read through the few medical books in the

apartment over and over again.

"I don't think we can stay here." Stavros said on the fifth morning. "If anyone finds out from Stefan and

Dr. Scorpio that we are here, the police will surely find us."

"Where do you suggest we go?" Jerry asked.

"Well, I believe Cassadine Island is out of the question, although I would like to make a home there with

you and the baby. Nikolas has a house in Italy, but he would find us, and that is what we don't want.

There is a Cassadine estate in Russia. Technically, it is a castle. No one lives there."

"And you don't think anyone will find us?"

"Well, if anyone does, I'll take you somewhere the Cassadines don't have any estates and we'll get our

own house. That way we will be harder to find. What do you think? That is, if you want to come with

me."

"If you want me to go. Anywhere else, I would just be alone. And I would like to be around to meet the

baby."

"I would want you there was well. Very well. To Russia we go, then."

And so they had moved into the old castle. It was in a country area many miles from St. Petersburg.

Jerry bought more medical textbooks and taught himself to be more like an actual doctor. Getting a job

at a hospital would be an interesting change.

"Do you have a legal medical license?" Stavros asked him once. "You need a proper medical license to

get a job in a legitimate hospital."

"Oh." Jerry didn't actually have one of those. "Well, maybe I can open my own little clinic. I mean, no

one _has_ to know I'm not an actual, legitimate doctor, do they?"

Stavros smiled. "Now you're thinking like a true Cassadine."

They did get a surrogate for the baby, a young woman who Stavros offered a generous amount of

money in return for carrying the baby.

Stavros woke to Jerry staring at the ceiling deep in thought. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Just thinking. Now that we finally got Kat to sleep, it's quiet. You know, I never thought of myself as

one to settle for domestic life, but here we are now."

"But that is a good thing, isn't it? I like our family."

A distressed cry came from the nursery across the hallway.

"I'll get him." Stavros left and came back a moment later with his baby daughter in his arms. "She seems

to like it better when you hold her."

"Good morning." Jerry took her from Stavros. "You don't sleep much, do you?"

"Well, what I don't understand is how she can hardly ever sleep and still be in such good spirits."

"She must have a lot of energy. You, I think she has your nose."

Jerry had been reading one of his textbooks when Stavros was telling him the name he had chosen, but

when he said it, Jerry looked up and said, "What?"

"I said, Katerina Helena Stavrosovena Cassadine. What do you think?"

"Well, it's a bit long. Can't we just call her Kat?"

"If you want, but do you like the name?"

"Yes, I do, it's just long."

Now Jerry brought Kat down to the dining room. "You stay here with Daddy and I'll get breakfast.

Between you and me, your daddy is not a good chef."

"I heard that." Stavros strode in. "Your culinary skills do not expand far, last I checked."

"Maybe not, but at least I never burned supper. You did fourteen times. I told you can't leave the oven

unattended."

"Well, I got distracted. Katerina wouldn't stop crying. She seems to always cry when I hold her."

"Have you thought about what to about your clinic idea?" Stavros asked as they settled down to

breakfast.

"I don't know. I haven't about it much lately." Jerry picked at his food for a few minutes. "Stavros, you

are happy here, aren't you?"

"I like to think so. Are you?"

"Oh, I am, but lately I have been tired of being in the same place. I'm used to going all over the world

doing things. I've had the urge to go off and have an adventure or something."

"Then why don't we?"

Jerry looked up at him. "What?"

"Let's go travelling. You, me, and Katerina. Why not? We have resources. We can go all over the world if

we want. See the sights, have an adventure, maybe we could even get married along the way. What do

you think?"

Jerry smiled. "That sounds amazing. When should I start packing?"

"Soon as you are ready. I can make necessary arrangements."

Jerry leaned over and hugged him. "I love you."

Stavros was a bit surprised. "Do you really?"

"Yes, I think I do."

And what then? Well, we should probably leave that for them to decide.


End file.
